In this episode

we take a look at two of the more interesting recent cases of invasive species. First up is the white-nose killer that is rapidly reducing the possibility of the photo you see above. And on the flip-side, what if an invasive species could actually help the local ecology? An invasive plant species is propping up the bee population in Fiji, so which should go? As usual, links to the research as well as a transcript after the jump.

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My first post-Spain episode

features an apology for not letting people know where the hell I was for the past month or two, followed by the revelation that the Earth has a secret superpower: the ability to accelerate particles to near light speed using just the power of its magnetic field! Some work by the new NASA Van Allen probes (along with the usual host of scientists and universities) have found that we have our own natural version of the LHC just hanging out there in space. Listen on to find out how this affects our satellite television, and the way they discovered the mechanism behind it all. As usual, transcript and links beyond the jump.

This week’s episode

is all about the image that you see above you: an amazing set of images taken using an atomic force microscope that show the atomic configurations of a molecule before and after a reaction. Crazy stuff! Listen in to find out how they did it, what’s so great about it, and what’s next for the scientists that did it. You can find the transcript of the show, plus a link to the journal article and an awesome video explaining how AFMs work after the jump.

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On this episode

of the pod, we take an in-depth look at the physics of, you guessed it, curling. Curling has been around for a while, invented by the Scots and taken up in earnest by the Canadians and Nordic countries. Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden have spent some time finding out why the stones curl the weird way they do. The articles were first accessed viaEurekalert. You can find links to some articles and a YouTube video of one of the best curling matches in Olympic history after the jump. Continue Reading

On this episode

of the pod, I apologise for being rather tardy over the last couple of weeks, before talking about the link between bones, computers, and building materials. Researchers at MIT have discovered the previously unknown structural mechanism behind the strength of our bones using a pretty clever technique! The articles were first accessed via the MIT Newsroom. You can find links to some of the news articles–including the original journal article that happens to be open –plus a transcript of the episode after the jump.